Friday Feature - Kendra, from Copper Tree Art

This week, I'm thrilled to introduce you to Kendra, from Copper Tree Art.

If you're a fan of the bohemian, you'll love her jewelry. If you love earthy jewelry, you'll love the pieces that she makes. From rings to bracelets to necklaces to earrings, the items that she hand crafts are both unique and lovely.

And she's been kind enough to answer some questions. :)

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I currently live in Southern California. I am a dolphin trainer and have a huge heart for animals!

When did you first begin creating?

I have always had a creative side to me. From a young age I enjoyed arts and crafts and often made my own clothes and jewelry so that I could tailor it to my style.

What led you to open a shop for your art/craft?

I started taking metalsmith jewelry classes a few years ago and fell in love with it. I began making jewelry for myself, but often got asked if I sold my jewelry by friends and family. That led me to start selling my jewelry at a local farmers market and then open my etsy page.

What is a typical work day like for you?

I've very fortunate to train dolphins for a living. It is a dream job for me that allows me to swim with these animals everyday!

How do you juggle the many tasks of running a creative business?

My jewelry making has become a passion of mine. When I have free time, I love to go down stairs to my studio and create new pieces. Some weeks I get a lot of jewelry made, and other weeks I don't have time to work on it at all.

What is your favorite item that you’ve created, ever?

I love patinas, they are unpredictable and result in beautiful and colorful pieces. My favorite pieces to wear are my patina necklaces.

What is your favorite item in your shop, now?

Currently, my blue moonstone ring is my favorite item in my shop!

Is there anything that you would like to learn or do to expand on or improve what you create now?

I take a metalsmith class every week which helps me constantly learn new techniques and have a group of women to bounce design ideas off of.

What advice would you share with other artists/crafters who sell their items?

Promote your work, and create what you love! I wear all of my jewelry which helps me promote it!

Aside from creating, what do you enjoy doing?

I'm an avid animal lover and enjoy listening to music and going to concerts.

If you could do anything at all, what would it be? Why?

I would love to travel more. I recently got the opportunity to travel to India, Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore. It was an incredible experience and has given me the itch to travel more!

Where would you travel if time and money were no object? Why?

Australia, I want to dive on the great barrier reef.

Where can we find you online?

My Etsy shop is www.coppertreeart.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Copper-Tree-art-jewelry/232523256821023

Thank you for sharing your art and your time, Kendra!

It's Giveaway Day!

***The Giveaway Day post is now CLOSED. I'll announce the winner soooooon! Thank you and good luck to everyone who stopped by and decided to enter!***

I'm so excited...today kicks of May Giveaway Day, hosted by Sew, Mama, Sew! (If you've come over from there, hello and welcome! If you've just stopped by, I encourage you to check out the rest of the blogs, here. You won't be disappointed!)

Now, on to the good stuff...

For Giveaway Day, I'm offering up one of the popular frog loves monkey medallion pillow covers. The winner will be able to specify their preferences (12, 14, 16, or 18 inch cover, and bird, butterfly or flower medallion) and I'll make a pillow to suit their decorating desires. Some examples:

What do you have to do to enter the giveaway? Not much. Just reply to this post and let me know your favorite color, because I'm curious about that sort of thing. :) If you'd like, you can follow the blog or like our facebook page for extra entries, just leave a new post here for each to let me know which you've done. Just make sure that I have a way to contact you, and that's it!

Entries are open from right now through May 25. (In all honesty, until I can get to the computer on the 26th.) I'll choose a winner at random and make an announcement on May 26 or 27, and get the pillow cover made as soon as the winner and I figure out the design.

Good luck and thanks for stopping by! Now, go enter more giveaways! (And be sure to visit my personal blog and enter the giveaway there, too!)

The Inevitable Lull

I keep catching myself thinking "I should write a blog post"...but there just hasn't been a whole lot going on to post about. We've been busy around here, so there's not a whole lot of "new" to talk about.

Mother's Day was nice. My aunt has been in town and it's been lovely to get to visit with her. My step-dad just got back into town today, and we're all VERY excited about that! (He's been in Texas for awhile!) My husband got an infection in a tooth last week and then it shattered a few days ago, so he's been down since then. With trying to make sure he's okay and juggling little ones and getting some behind-the-scenes computer stuff done for the shop...blah. not much else to talk about. ;)

I'm excited about some of the stuff we have coming up, though. The Craft Hope aprons are still coming along, there are a few special orders in process, and some really great artist features coming up. So, it might be quiet for a few more days, but there's good stuff coming. :)